


You Would Have Liked Him

by EmpressofTears



Category: Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe - Benjamin Alire Sáenz
Genre: M/M, Spanish phrases, takes place after the novel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-23
Updated: 2016-08-23
Packaged: 2018-08-10 14:46:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 545
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7849276
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmpressofTears/pseuds/EmpressofTears
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>If only Ophelia was around to meet Dante.</i>
</p>
<p>Trying to reconcile himself with the world, Ari visits his newly acquired house to tell his aunt Ophelia (or at least her ghost) all about his new boyfriend.  She would have liked him, after all. She would have liked him a lot. </p>
            </blockquote>





	You Would Have Liked Him

**Author's Note:**

> I don’t think Franny was around when Ari stayed with Ophelia, but we’re just going to pretend that she was to make my life a little easier.

_"Hola, Tía Ophelia,"_ Ari said. Then he felt stupid. What kind of idiot talks to empty houses? Did he really believe his dead aunt’s ghost was lurking around her old home, listening to him talk about his life? 

The house itself was just as he remembered from his childhood: bright colors and little knick-knacks everywhere. The hallways were pained a striking orange, the living room shockingly yellow. A layer of dust had settled over it, though, taking the life out of the once vibrant entryway. 

Ari found himself standing in the kitchen. He remembered sitting at the table and listening to his aunts chatter away while they cooked. Their conversations ebbed and flowed and jumped between languages effortlessly, and it took all that he had to keep up with them. Ari had fond memories of that kitchen table. There was so much love in that house. 

There were two wooden chairs still sitting at the kitchen table. _Era la silla de Tía Ophelia._ That was Aunt Ophelia’s chair, sitting proudly at the head of the table. Ari traced his fingers over the painted daisies, faded after years of wear. Next to her was Franny, always Franny. _Para siempre._ The two were inseparable. That’s part of why Ari took the weekend to visit her house. 

His house, now. 

He didn’t know what to do with it. There was a friend of Ophelia’s that offered to buy it. Offered a large amount of money, too, but Ari couldn’t go through with the deal. There was a part of him that wanted to hold onto the house. For its memories. For its potential. 

Ari would never say it out loud (not yet, too soon), but he hoped to hold onto the house through college. It would be a lovely home, a perfect getaway, and he could share it with Dante. They could grow old together in that house. 

It was for Dante that Ari kept the house. _Juntos ellos pudieron continuar el legado de sus tías._ Together they could continue the legacy of his aunts.

Ari sighed heavily and sat down at the table. “I read the letters, _Tía Ophelia._ I guess… I was trying to figure my mom out. But I figured you out instead.”

He rubbed his eyes and muttered, “This is stupid,” under his breath before blurting out, “I met this guy. His name is Dante, funny enough. I was at the pool, I couldn’t swim. Then this kid walks up to me, voice squeaky from allergies, and offers to teach me.”

Silence fell for a few minutes as Ari listened to the night life outside. 

“We spent the whole summer together, Dante and me. He became my best friend.”

Ari’s voice grew louder as he talked, becoming more confident, full of happiness. “He loves words and literature and art and birds. But he hates shoes and bullies and rules. He knows so much it’s like his mind holds the secrets of the universe. ”

Then Ari said, “I love him, _Tía Ophelia. Lo amo mucho.”_

\---

Later, when he was leaving the house to go home (home, to his parents and Legs and Dante), he said one last goodbye.

_“Adios, Tía Ophelia._ I know you would have liked him. You would have liked him a lot.”

**Author's Note:**

> I read the entire book in less than five hours. I just couldn’t stop. Then I jumped straight into writing this fanfic, so I didn’t really proofread this. Oops. It was just something I couldn’t get out of my head. My writing style was weird for this fic, all choppy and short. ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯


End file.
